CJ Grill Body Mount Fix Options

[Rollbar]

If you have a welder, how to do a permanent factory-style repair (in less than 30 minutes if the grille is already off the Jeep).

1. Cut and remove an area about 1" around the hole. You can see the remains of the old rusted captive nut cage on the inside of the piece removed.

2. Make a new nut plate from 1/4" steel plate; it is drilled and tapped to accept the grille mount bolt. Also grind the remains of the old captive nut cage off the removed piece.

3. 16-guage galvanized sheet to make a blank for the new cage - it is about 3/8" larger than the new nut plate, and being galvanized and thicker than the original, it will probably outlast the Jeep now.

4. Bend up the sides of the new cage on my home made bending brake. This could easy be done with a vise and hammer as well, neatness doesn't really count too much on this one.

5. All the parts ready to be welded - the new nut plate, the new cage, the removed piece and the mount bolt.

6. The cage is welded to the bottom of the piece removed in step 1, of course with the nut plate captive inside it The nut plate can move about 3/8" in all directions inside the cage, to provide for lots of adjustment when assembling the body.

7. Finally, the removed piece is welded back in place. While this section open, you can also treat the rust on the inside and painted it to arrest any further or future rust development.





complements of jscherb